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AFTER raising the question of potentially salacious and embarrassing material about his personal life in his US court filings, entrepreneur Geoffrey Edelsten is now trying to gag his opponents from talking to the media.

Dr Edelsten has filed a motion in a Florida court, claiming any public discussion about the case would harm the chances of the matter being dealt with fairly in court.

But lawyers for Rafael Mawardi, with whom Mr Edelsten is engaged in a bitter legal battle over millions of dollars each claims the other is owed, responded that Dr Edelsten needed to learn that America was the land of free speech.

Dr Edelsten's motion for a gag order argues that he is a "relatively high profile individual in Australia" who recently attracted attention over an alleged extortion attempt by Mr Mawardi.

The motion did not complain about Mr Mawardi's comments, which were merely a denial that he had tried to extort money from Dr Edelsten. But it argued the court was "the proper forum for the controversy".

In documents from an earlier US District Court case, brought by Dr Edelsten, he stated: "The theme was that if I didn't pay the $1.5 million to (Mr Mawardi), he would destroy me and my wife."

Rafael MawardiSource:Herald Sun

Dr Edelsten, 69, stated that he and his wife, Brynne, 28, were in the US on September 5, when Mr Mawardi allegedly threatened to embarrass the Edelstens.

"It was in the car on the way to the airport that Rafael Mawardi said to Brynne, 'You are a gold digger', and mentioned that he would destroy me and wife Brynne," Dr Edelsten stated.

"He said he would destroy me (and) allegedly that he had information, which the media would love and ruin my reputation."

The case began with Mr Marwadi filing a claim against Dr Edelsten in Florida state court in September, which detailed how the two men had met in 2010 and agreed to go into business.

Dr Edelsten signed a contract for a joint venture in the Mawardi family's House of Nurielle fashion line, of which Ms Edelsten was to become the public face.

They also went into other ventures, buying apartments, an Embraer jet and a casino in the Dominican Republic.

Mr Mawardi said: "Edelsten boasted he had accumulated investments exceeding $100,000,000" and would be a good business partner.

Mr Mawardi said he instead loaned Dr Edelsten almost $2million, and alleged the Australian never came good on his promises.

Geoffrey and Brynne EdelstenSource:Herald Sun

Mr Edelsten filed a counter-suit in the federal US court, claiming he had lost $18 million, which was dismissed for jurisdictional reasons. Now they are back in the Florida state court (along with another action in Tennessee), where Dr Edelsten is trying to silence the Mawardis and their lawyers.

Claims of allegedly embarrassing material were first raised by Dr Edelsten in his federal court filings.

Dr Edelsten is continuing to push the extortion claims in the Florida court, claiming in a recently amended court document: "R. Mawardi threatened that unless he was paid he would divulge embarrassing material to the Australian press that would destroy Edelsten and his wife."

The Mawardi team's response to the Edelsten gag order, which will be heard in a Florida court tomorrow, states: "It is somewhat ironic that Edelsten brings up the need to protect his reputation. He is a flamboyant individual who constantly seems to court publicity, although he clearly favours the flattering type."

It stated that Dr Edelsten had a "self-serving website", hawked a book about his exploits, and used another site to attack journalists "who dare to write negatively about him".

"Naturally, the press is interested in a wealthy entrepreneur who was convicted (and jailed in 1990) for trying to assassinate one of his patients. Edelsten committed that heinous crime when was a licenced physician in Australia, which he no longer is."

The Mawardi lawyers said Dr Edelsten's gag order should fail.

"While one can admire Edelsten's chutzpah in taking such a dispute to court, he needs to be told that in the US the First Amendment rights of those who have unflattering things to say about him will not be so easily suppressed."